Smartsheet Automation not triggering/takes forever to trigger

Jess Bowles · 08/25/22

Hello,

We use smartsheets to keep track of and automate our Inventory Adjustment Process. When an adjustment is complete it is supposed to send confirmation to the person who handled the request, but this is often not happening for hours after they complete the row, and occasionally doesn't happen at all!

I have attached images of the automation and sheet rows that are not updating.

Essentially, when the row changes and is marked complete, and [Date sent to handler] is not blank, send confirmation to handler and mark a date in the [handler received confirmation] field.

This is not the only sheet that has struggled to complete automation, can anyone explain why?

This is the automation that is supposed to date the "date adjustment complete" field. As you can see it has not run but there is no reason why.

Andrée Starå · 08/27/22

Hi @Jess Bowles

I hope you're well and safe!

To add to Mike's excellent advice/answer.

Please have a look at my post below with a method I developed to update the sheet(s) daily.

More info:

Daily Update Solution without the need to open the sheet, use Zapier, or similar

Andrée Starå

Jan 6, 2021

Hi everyone,
Happy New Year!
I hope you're well and safe!
I've developed a way to use the newly released Record a date feature to update sheets with today's date automatically without the need to open it or similar.
1. Add a so-called helper column. (Date). We can call it Today Helper and add a date before the current day.
2. You'd then use an Automation Workflow as described below.
Trigger: When a date is reached
Every day starting on 2021-01-06 (today or earlier)
02:00 (select the time that makes the most sense for the process)
Conditions
Where Today Helper is in the past
Record a date
Record a date in Today Helper
https://us.v-cdn.net/6031209/uploads/1R2CO9WEE5M5/screenshot-of-ghost-browser-282021-01-06-2c-14-22-21-29.jpg
This could also be structured so you'd use a so-called helper sheet for the process above and then link it to all other sheets where you'd need the daily update.
Let me know if you have any questions!
I hope that helps!
Stay safe, and Happy New Year!
Best,
Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD
✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please help the Community by marking it as helpful. It will make it easier for others to find a solution.

Did that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic weekend!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Please support the Community by marking the post(s) that helped or answered your question or solved your problem with the accepted answer/helpful, Insightful/Vote Up/Awesome. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Mike TV · 08/27/22

@Jess Bowles

Sometimes automations and formulas on sheets are either very slow to work or don't work at all because nobody has the sheet open for it to be "active". One way around this is to set up an automation to run on a timed basis so it's running frequently keeping the sheet refreshed. This shouldn't be an issue with the software they use, but unfortunately it is. It seems like something that they should fix asap so that people's sheets are always working as correctly setup but for some reason this isn't a priority. It's been this way for forever I think.

Andrée Starå · 08/27/22

Hi @Jess Bowles

I hope you're well and safe!

To add to Mike's excellent advice/answer.

Please have a look at my post below with a method I developed to update the sheet(s) daily.

More info:

Daily Update Solution without the need to open the sheet, use Zapier, or similar

Andrée Starå

Jan 6, 2021

Hi everyone,
Happy New Year!
I hope you're well and safe!
I've developed a way to use the newly released Record a date feature to update sheets with today's date automatically without the need to open it or similar.
1. Add a so-called helper column. (Date). We can call it Today Helper and add a date before the current day.
2. You'd then use an Automation Workflow as described below.
Trigger: When a date is reached
Every day starting on 2021-01-06 (today or earlier)
02:00 (select the time that makes the most sense for the process)
Conditions
Where Today Helper is in the past
Record a date
Record a date in Today Helper
https://us.v-cdn.net/6031209/uploads/1R2CO9WEE5M5/screenshot-of-ghost-browser-282021-01-06-2c-14-22-21-29.jpg
This could also be structured so you'd use a so-called helper sheet for the process above and then link it to all other sheets where you'd need the daily update.
Let me know if you have any questions!
I hope that helps!
Stay safe, and Happy New Year!
Best,
Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD
✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please help the Community by marking it as helpful. It will make it easier for others to find a solution.

Did that work/help?

I hope that helps!

Be safe, and have a fantastic weekend!

Best,

Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Please support the Community by marking the post(s) that helped or answered your question or solved your problem with the accepted answer/helpful, Insightful/Vote Up/Awesome. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

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Smartsheet Automation not triggering/takes forever to trigger

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Daily Update Solution without the need to open the sheet, use Zapier, or similar

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Daily Update Solution without the need to open the sheet, use Zapier, or similar

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